


Eighth Comes First

by StarlitSky



Series: A Not So Delicate Flower [4]
Category: Mario Story | Paper Mario, Super Mario Bros.
Genre: Continuation, Family, Gen, Humor, Offspring Taking The Spotlight, Sequel, Short, Short & Sweet, Twins, first person POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-24
Updated: 2012-05-14
Packaged: 2017-11-02 10:57:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/368230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlitSky/pseuds/StarlitSky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dear Diary, Dad and Mama Rosie just went off on vacation and left me in charge of the whole kingdom! And I'm not sure why, but Wendy's been hyperventilating all morning." -From the diary of Bowser Junior.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because you guys asked for it, here it is; a flash-forward followup to HDSM and IWH starring Bowser Jr. all grown up...almost.

"You're _what_?"

I've grown up around Wendy's tantrums, so when I got up one morning to the sound of her carrying on about something, I didn't think anything of it. Not until I saw a bunch of shy guys running back and forth in the halls, shuttling luggage through the castle and out the front gates. "What's going on?" I asked curiously.

Roy was standing in the corridor with Ludwig, watching the procession go by. Wendy was with them and clutching her head like she felt faint. "Mom and Dad are going on vacation," Roy reported.

"Really? Where?"

Wendy let out a long groan. Just what was her problem, anyway?

"We're going all over," Dad reported as he joined us, trailing behind the last of the luggage toters. "Your mother's never been to Rogueport before, and maybe after that we'll sail out to Lavalava island. Who knows? We'll decide as we go."

I could tell by the way he spoke and by the look on his face this was definitely a 'mom and dad only' kind of trip. My first reaction would have probably been to say he was nuts to take his pretty little wife to places like that, but...this was Mama Rosie we were talking about. So instead I felt a small twinge of jealousy, knowing that I was probably going to be pretty bored while they were gone.

I didn't bother asking when they'd be back. If they were making it up as they went along, then they wouldn't know for sure. So all I asked was, "When are you leaving?"

Dad stopped grumbling orders at the frazzled shy guys and looked at me again. "In just a few minutes," he told me. Chuckling, he reached over and tousled my hair until I saw spots. "Which means _you'll_ be in charge while we're gone," he added.

Wendy made that groaning noise again. I perked up. "Really? You mean, the whole castle?"

"And the kingdom," Dad added. "It'll be good practice for when you take charge for real."

Ludwig snorted and nudged Roy. "If we start running now, you think we can be in Nimbus Land by nightfall?"

I rolled my eyes. They weren't going to be gone _that_ long. What could possibly go wrong in just a couple of weeks?

"Don't hurry back," I called, as Dad hurried down the corridor. Wendy trailed after him, her whiny voice echoing back long after the two disappeared from sight.

A minute or so later Mama Rosie scurried into view, toting a slick black valise under one arm and carrying a beaded purse in her other hand. Her hair billowed behind her and her cheeks were bright with color...which told me that she was looking forward to this trip even more than Dad was.

"You kids be good," she told Roy and Ludwig as she kissed them both in turn. "And listen to your brother."

"Do we _have_ to?" asked Roy, his groan matching Wendy's.

"Yes," Mama Rosie said firmly. "He's your future king, so you may as well get used to taking orders. No insubordination, now, it's tacky among family members."

Smiling, she turned and stood on tiptoe to hug me around my neck; laughing softly, I hugged her back. It wasn't like the old days where I was small enough for her to tote me around...not that I miss those days or anything. I wasn't as big as Dad yet--but hey, I'm getting there someday.

"Don't torture them _too_ much," she advised, her dark green eyes twinkling with mirth.

On her wrist I caught sight of the old charm bracelet I made for her, years ago. It was worn and tarnished, but she never went anywhere without it. "Don't you worry about a thing," I told her, smiling to mask the suspicious lump that was rising into my throat. "You just go have fun."

Behind her, Ludwig suddenly rolled his eyes and had a coughing fit, which didn't mask his gruff exclamation of 'mama's boy!' Not that it was supposed to.

Rolling her own eyes, Mama Rosie let go of me and turned to put her arms around Ludwig, whose sour expression was quickly replaced by a look of embarrassment. "I'll miss you too, you big lug," she told him, petting his tangle of blue hair. "We'll send you postcards and bring you back souvenirs."

Ludwig nodded mutely. He's much closer to her in height than I am, so he was able to rest his head on her shoulder as he hugged her back. Not that I'm jealous.

After they parted, she headed out front with Dad, so we all hurried outside to see them off--all ten of us. "Bye Mom, bye Dad!" called Lemmy, as Dad helped Mama Rosie into the clown car. "Have fun!"

"Don't be gone too long," added Wendy, sounding faint again.

"Yeah, we're completely okay with it if you decide to come home early," Larry put in.

I kept quiet as I waved farewell, while Elsie bounced up and down beside me, making her curls dance. "Conquer a kingdom for me," she called, before she turned and scurried back into the castle.

Her twin brother wasn't taking the sudden separation into stride quite so well. He stayed out front longer than anyone, waving and sniffling through the tears the rest of us managed to avoid amidst frequent calls of 'Bye Mommy!' And Ludwig has the nerve to call _me_ a mama's boy.

I headed back into the castle and into the foyer, where my seven siblings known as the koopalings were milling around and chattering a mile a minute. It was something that only sounded like random gibberish to the untrained ear, but I was easily able to pick one rapid voice from the next.

"I think now would be a good time to lock myself up in my lab for a while," Iggy mused, while Wendy took a few quick breaths that came out high-pitched and squeaky.

"This is going to be a total disaster," she moaned. "I just know it!"

"Ah, relax," Morton told her, "what could possibly happen?"

"I'd really rather not think about it," said Larry crisply.

"Wendy, would you _stop_ breathing like that?" Roy complained.

"Just as long as they only come back with the two of them," Ludwig said casually. "Instead of, you know, number eleven. Or maybe twelve."

Wendy made a shrieking sound. "Ludwig, oh my _gawd_! Did you just jinx them? You totally did, didn't you! If Mom comes back pregnant, it is _so_ your fault!"

"How would it be _my_ fault?" Ludwig asked dryly. "It's Dad's, um...never mind."

They all continued to prattle on together, but after I while I stopped listening. I wasn't really included in this conversation. Which was nothing new; they had always been a close-knit group, and having three other siblings hadn't changed that. It didn't bother me. I was used to it, and I wandered out of the foyer and down the winding corridors until I reached a set of bedchambers.

Elsie and Rue used to share a room, but when they got a little older, Elsie insisted on being moved into her own room. How can I best describe my little sister Rosella, affectionately known to all as Elsie? To put it mildly...she's a real trip.

She has Mama Rosie's natural air of grace and refinement, along with her ear and talent for music...and her old habit of wandering clear out of her home kingdom. From the moment she first learned to walk, she had made a beeline for the boundaries of Darkland, wanting to see everything and anything that lay beyond.

All this was mashed together with both her and Dad's looks--and her most distinctive feature: Dad's desire for world domination. As I invited myself into her room, she was sitting on her bed surrounded by a pile of papers and maps while scribbling something in a book in her hands. She perked up when she saw me, her black-streaked red curls bouncing against her dark maroon shell as she straightened up. "You know what we could do while Dad's gone that would really make him proud?" she asked eagerly.

"No idea," I said, even though I had every idea what was on her mind.

She snorted and blew a curl away from her amber eyes. ""We should go conquer something, of course. Someplace nice and close by."

"Like the Mushroom Kingdom? Newsflash, baby sis: Dad has failed for years. What makes you think you can do it on a whim?"

"No, not the Mushroom Kingdom," she muttered, wrinkling her stubby nose at me. "I was thinking about something nice and small, like Yo'ster Isle. Come on, let's go storm the place and enslave all the yoshis. It'll be fun."

"It'll get you grounded," I corrected. "You know how Mama Rosie feels about Mooshi and his family."

She muttered something under her breath and went back to her writing, while I turned and surveyed her bedroom. Like Mama Rosie, Elsie likes dark colors best, and she decorates mostly with black and deep blue. It would look a little masculine at first glance if it wasn't for all the white lace on everything. I went over to the vanity table, nudging aside the cherry wood stool with my foot as I looked myself over in the mirror.

I had changed a lot in the last few years, but one thing remained the same: I still looked like a miniature of Dad. But aside from still not being as tall as him, the horns on my head and the spikes on my shell were noticeably smaller than his. And I still haven't quite managed to achieve the same booming voice, the larger than life presence that makes little toads run for the hills with high-pitched squeals--but I'm working on it.

I ran my clawed fingers through my red-orange hair, spiking it out even more than it already did, then cupped my chin in one hand and tossed myself a wink. "Oh, yeah--who's the stud?"

Behind me, Elsie made a gagging sound. " _Boys_."

Snickering, I turned away from the mirror, just as Rue wandered into the room. He might be Elsie's twin, but appearance-wise, he could easily pass for Mama Rosie's younger brother. He has the same black hair, the same green eyes, the same pale, delicate skin. Personality-wise? Now that was a different story. Mama Rosie claims he inherited his behavior and mannerisms from his grandparents. Whatever the cause, Rue has always been shy, reserved, cautious. Not at all like his jump-in-with-both-feet twin...yet for some reason they never argue.

"Hey, Ruby-Roo," Elsie greeted cheerfully. "Wanna help me plot to take over the world?"

"Maybe later," Rue mumbled, as he took a seat at her writing desk and glumly propped his chin in his hands.

His eyes were red-rimmed, the only sign of color in his ivory face. I made sure not to tease him about it--Elsie would spit fire at me if I did. Rue has always been small, looking almost lost in the black-and-scarlet robes he wore, and as a result everybody babied him even though, technically, Elsie was the youngest. That was what Kammy told us, anyway. Not that anyone wanted to stick around to hear her describe how she had put Mama Rosie into a stupor before pulling the twins out 'the easy way,' since she claimed Elsie's shell would have made normal delivery too risky.

Elsie was busy scribbling in her book while Rue continued to stare gloomily into space when a flapping sound made me turn around. "I hate to disturb you, your Majesties," said the paratroopa hovering in the doorway, "but we have a...guest."

Guests were actually fairly common around here these days. Mama Rosie's brothers and sisters stop by frequently with their families--and even a few of our neighbors come in once in a while, when they feel brave enough. Not to say that Dad has behaved himself in the last few years, but...Mama Rosie has an amazing knack for sending off heartfelt apologies and gifts that soothe over any feelings hurt after Dad is done trampling through someone else's kingdom.

Neither Elsie or Rue looked interested in seeing who our visitor was, so I went on alone with the paratroopa to the foyer, which had emptied since the last time I saw it. There was no one in sight except for a small figure standing in the middle of the room--a small figure in a red shirt, a denim-colored diaper, and a glossy red cap that hung lopsided on his round head. He had short black hair and a chubby nose that looked kind of like someone had glued a smooth potato sideways to the middle of his face, and he had a ratty stuffed cloud doll tucked under one arm while he placidly sucked his thumb.

I'm not sure how long I stared before I managed to pick my jaw up off the floor and turned to the paratroopa, who bore a bland, bemused expression on his face. "What the heck is Mario Jr doing here?" I asked in a hasty whisper.

Sure, we'd all been on much better terms with the Mushroom Kingdom ever since Dad married Mama Rosie and Mario helped out with that weird kidnapping incident from years ago, but did that mean his parents would be comfortable with their baby boy being over here in our castle by himself? I don't think so.

I also didn't think he could have possibly come here all by himself, but after taking a quick look around and asking the paratroopa, I came to the conclusion that he was definitely alone. Which was about as strange as the fact that a Mario Jr even existed--something that might have never happened, if the last chancellor of Mushroom Castle didn't suddenly up and keel over one day. His replacement was supposed to be ultra-mellow and didn't believe being born royalty was important; Mario had rescued the kingdom and its citizens a thousand times over, and that was good enough for him. If he was king, that would mean everyone would be safe for as long as he reigned.

The citizens had all agreed, and so the princess and the plumber had married and gotten straight to making babies. Yeah, I totally don't care to try and visualize that either.

Trying to look as non-threatening as possible, I cleared my throat and bent over a little. "So, little guy," I began casually, "just how did you get all the way over here?"

The stubby thumb came out with a 'pop.' "Rode," Mario Jr informed me, sounding proud of himself.

"I see. All by yourself?"

"Nuh-uh. Came with Popo."

Ah, yes. Mario Jr's little sister Portabella, who'd been given a baby yoshi to ride around on for her first birthday. "I see," I said again. "You two rode here together? Where is she?"

I sure hoped she was somewhere close by, like playing out front. Uh, not that the thought of a little pink-skinned baby playing over a moat of lava was very reassuring.

Readjusting his hold on the cloud toy, the miniature plumber turned and pointed vaguely. "Got lost."

I felt something a little like a cold rock dropping into my stomach. "Ummm...define lost."

"Out there. Yoshi ran off. Didn't find 'em so I come here."

He smiled and put his thumb back into his mouth. I straightened with a quiet groan and rubbed my eyes for a moment. Let's see if I understood this right: the helpless baby daughter of our closest ally/greatest enemy was currently outside roaming the wilds of Darkland, where she could easily fall into a pool of lava, drown in a pit of quicksand, or get eaten by any number of our exotic local wildlife?

Whimpering, I placed my face in my hands. "I want my Mommy."


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe Mom and Dad left Junior in charge and not me.  
Sure, he's the crown prince and I'm not, but I'm the oldest!  
Not that I _want_ to be crown prince--heck no, running a  
kingdom is _way_ too much work. Sometimes I think Dad  
has serious brain damage to want to rule the entire  
world--doesn't he realize how much responsibility that'd be?

"I kind of wish Mom was still here. I'm used to her coming to  
tuck me in at night. Not that anybody knows about that.  
Wait, then why am I writing about it? Somebody could  
read this! First chance I get I'm burning this thing."  
_~From the Diary of Ludwig Von Koopa_

"So, what exactly are we supposed to do about this?" Ludwig wondered.

It didn't take long for word about our guest to spread throughout the castle, and before long my siblings were clustered around the little figure in the red cap, who blinked curiously at them in return as he sucked his thumb. "What else _can_ we do?" I asked wearily. "We have to go look for her."

"What about him?" Roy wondered, as Iggy suddenly picked the baby plumber up and sniffed him.

"Somebody has to stay here and watch him while the rest of us search," I answered logically.

"Don't look at me," Wendy said crisply. "I just did my nails."

I rolled my eyes, a move most of my brothers mirrored. Iggy was hoisting Mario Jr over his head as he scrutinized him, making him giggle and kick his chubby feet. "I wonder what makes him tick?" he mused.

"Babies don't tick," I snapped, as my heart gave an unhappy flutter. I didn't want to think about how much time we'd have to spend in a Mushroom Kingdom prison for dissecting the crown prince.

Iggy took another sniff, then held the little kicker out at arm's length. "No," he allowed, coughing, "but they sure do smell."

Morton bugged his eyes out before turning and scurrying out of the foyer. "I have to go, um, blow something up," he called back vaguely.

"Me too," said Ludwig, hurrying after him.

"Don't look at me," Wendy said again as she blew on her nails.

Huffing in annoyance, Elsie took the soiled prince and stomped away. "You're all a buncha useless sissies," she called over her shoulder.

"True enough," I said mildly, knowing that Mama Rosie would have scolded us too, if she were here. Well, she'd be more polite about it. "Okay," I sighed, "who wants to join me in the search party?"

Predictably, Rue volunteered to stay here and help Elsie watch Mario Jr, while the koopalings that didn't run out of the room a minute ago opted to follow me outside...except for Wendy, of course. Sometimes I'd like to gnaw off those nails of hers.

"Okay, let's see," I mumbled, going over a checklist a few minutes later, "We'll need torches to see by, backpacks for food in case we're out there a long time, sleeping bags in case we're out there a _really_ long time..."

"And drinks?" wondered Lemmy.

"Good idea. You and Larry go get the food and drinks. Roy, Iggy and I will get the rest of the stuff."

The pair gave a hop and ran off--I'm sure the head cook would be ecstatic when they stormed the kitchen--while the three of us went to dig up five backpacks and sleeping bags. Snagging torches was easy enough, since there are rows of them on virtually every wall. We met up in the foyer a few minutes later and then, after securing our gear, we all trooped outside.

"Let me think," I mumbled to myself as we headed across the bridge that stretched over the moat, "if I were a baby princess lost and alone out in the middle of a strange place, where would I go?"

"In your diaper," Roy said promptly, making Larry and Lemmy and snicker. I rolled my eyes and took the lead as we headed out the main gate.

Beyond the castle walls, the terrain was a mixture of smooth dirt and patches of rocky ground, making traveling on foot slow-going as we climbed up boulders and slid down inclines. Plus there were pools of lava to work around, and angry, fire-proof piranha plants waiting to pop out...not that any of it bothered us. But it made for slow progress, and supplied plenty of hiding places for frightened little princesses.

When we didn't find anything close to the castle, we ventured out into the dense underbrush a little further out, which was so dark it was almost impossible to see without torches and good ol' keen koopa eyesight. Just how did two babies get this far, anyway?

"I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing right now?" Lemmy wondered as he skipped over a tangle of roots growing in the middle of the path.

Roy snorted. "Probably something fun," he muttered.

"More fun than this," I agreed sourly. "I doubt when they put me in charge they figured I'd have to go off on a baby hunt five minutes after they left."

"What _does_ one need to conduct a good baby hunt?" Iggy suddenly mused. "A big net?"

"Or a bill blaster?" suggested Lemmy.

Groaning, I rubbed a hand over my eyes. "That's not what I meant, you sick turds," I grumbled. "Now--"

Roy suddenly jerked a hand up. "Shhh!" he ordered. "Listen."

We all froze, ears straining. Somewhere off in the distance was a soft sound...a strange one. Kind of like a snuffling, sobbing sound. Lemmy wrinkled his nose. "Is that what Mushroom Kingdom babies sound like when they cry?" he wondered. "Doesn't sound a bit like how Rue used to."

"Or Elsie," agreed Roy. "She about busted the roof off when she was small."

Grimacing, I nodded in agreement; my baby sister had quite a pair of lungs on her. Fortunately, she had grown out of wailing when she wanted something. Now, if we could just teach Wendy the same...

"It's coming from over that way," Iggy said, pointing down an even more overgrown path than the one we were on. The underbrush was so thick it had me wishing we thought to bring a machete or something--and then I saw Roy gearing up to spit a fireball, planning to torch our way through the dense forest. "Don't do that," I cried, giving him a shove that sent him sprawling.

Roy rolled like a log for about a foot before he stopped and hauled himself angrily to his feet. "What was _that_ for?" he groused, brushing himself off.

"The princess could be hiding in any one of these bushes," I told him tersely. "So we can't just start flaming everything in sight."

"Many things around here have a habit of bursting into flame anyway," Iggy reminded me as he adjusted his glasses.

"I know--which is why we should stop talking and hurry this up," I said meaningfully.

Following the sobbing sound, we made our way deeper into the forest, pulling and tugging and clawing our way through the weeds and underbrush. Progress was made slowly, especially since my brothers kept chattering and bouncing around--particularly Lemmy. "Do I have to remind you guys that I'm in charge around here?" I asked testily as he and Larry kept shoving each other around and cackling like crazy koopas.

Without waiting for a response, I whirled on them with a roar and unleashed a steady stream of flame that would have made Dad proud. Not that fire was much of a threat to our hard shells, but it chaffed the skin and could cause a seriously bad hair day, and the four of them scattered with squeals. "How come you get to breathe fire and we don't?" Roy demanded, as he pulled his sunglasses off and wiped soot off the lenses.

"Because we already checked back that way and I know it's clear," I said smugly.

"And you're standing right where we haven't checked," Roy added sourly.

"Exactly."

Still smug, I turned around and pulled aside a clump of shrubbery--and nearly hopped back in surprise. Curled up at the base of the tree in front of me, covering his head and whimpering pitifully, was a baby yoshi. He was bright--almost neon--lime green, and he looked so scared I was pretty sure he hadn't even noticed us yet.

Larry peered around my arm curiously. "It's not the princess--but maybe we could put him in a pink dress and glue some blond curls on his head," he suggested. "I'm sure no one would ever notice."

I wearily shoved him back, then stepped closer and bent down. "Hey, little one," I started to say, "do you happen to know where--"

At the sound of my voice, the yoshi moved its hands from its head and looked up--and took off with a shrill shriek, running for cover behind the large tree trunk. Sighing, I straightened up again. "Am I that scary?" I wondered.

Behind me, my brothers were sniggering hysterically. "To the weak-minded," Roy confirmed. "You've got Dad's mug, after all."

Great for it to be causing terror when I didn't want it to. I was just about to chase after the little shrieker when Roy stepped casually in front of me, and just as casually snagged him as he came back around the other side of the tree. He unceremoniously dumped the frightened creature into his backpack; a moment later a lime green nose poked out, followed by a pair of wide, bewildered eyes. His nose twitched, but he didn't shriek or try to get away again.

"That's one," he noted.

"Good. Let's hurry up and find the princess," I said.

Fortunately, we found her only a few feet away from the whimpering yoshi. She was lying back on a pile of leaves and cooing quietly as she kicked her bare feet, looking like she was too young to understand she was in a potentially dangerous environment, and she didn't react as the five of us crowded around her and peered closely.

She had huge blue eyes and was dressed in a lacy pink dress over her plump white diaper, and a string of glittering beads was woven carefully into her golden curls, like a circlet.

Larry snorted. "Like if she didn't have some kind of ornament on we would have _no_ idea she's supposed to be a princess."

"Let's just get her back to the castle," I said, as I bent closer and started lifting her carefully.

Little Popo squirmed and giggled like my clawed hands tickled, and her cherubic face broke out into a smile as she patted my large nose. Roy snickered. "Looks like she likes you," he noted.

I thought back on all the times her mother started screeching louder than a banshee who'd just sucked down a balloon-full of helium the second she caught a glimpse of my dad's face and wondered whose personality was at work here.

"I think there's room in my bag," Roy offered cheekily, as I straightened up and gently rested the plump baby against my shoulder.

"I can handle it," I said crisply. "Let's get going."

We all trooped back to the castle, which was oddly quiet when we got inside. Having no other reason to hang around, my brothers shed their explorers gear and wandered off in different directions, leaving me alone with both the tiny princess and unhappy yoshi, who started fussing again after Roy left him on the floor.

Sighing, I leaned down to scoop him up with my free hand--and felt my nose twitch as an unpleasant odor drifted to me from the softly cooing princess. Sighing again, I turned and hurried down the corridor. "Elsie?"

I found her back in her room, curled up on her bed with her journal for world conquest in her hand. She looked up as the three of us came in. "You found them," she noted, sounding pleased.

"Uh-huh." I set Popo down carefully on her bed. "You think you could give me a hand? The little princess has, uh, delicately soiled herself."

Elsie sat up and scowled at me. "Why can't you do something about it?" she demanded sourly.

"Because I'm a useless sissy," I reminded her.

Grunting, she cradled the tiny princess in her arms carefully and slid off the bed. "I pity the poor girl who gets stuck with _you_ ," she sniffed.

"Me too. Where's Mario Jr?" I asked as I followed her out into the hallway.

"Where else? Rue took him to the old playroom."

"Ah. Smart thinking."

With so many kids who were close in age, Dad built us a playroom that almost took up an entire wing of the castle. The rest of us outgrew it years ago, but Elsie and Rue still spent a lot of their time in there. It had everything; swing sets, slides, rows and rows of tunnels, merry-go-rounds, train sets--and a whole lot more, all brightly and cheerfully colored. When Elsie and I got there, each us toting a baby, Rue was perched on a swing, while Mario Jr was crawling around on a teeter-totter and giggling happily.

"How'd you get so good at this, anyway?" I wondered, as Elsie carried baby Popo over to a large cabinet at the side of the room.

"Uh, we have a lot of relatives with babies on Mom's side of the family, and they seem to just keep coming," she reminded me, as she pulled out a stack of diapers we kept on hand for when the aforementioned relatives visited. "Don't you ever pay attention to how they take care of all those kids when they're here?"

"Ummm...no."

"Typical."

Rue, who had been listening to us, suddenly jumped down from his swing. "Well, even if Elsie has a knack for changing diapers, she can't watch them by herself," he noted as he came over.

No, I agreed silently as I looked both him and his twin over. They were much too young to be saddled with the responsibility of watching two helpless babies for an extended period of time. They were only a little bigger than I was when Mama Rosie first joined the family, and not a whole lot older.

And speaking of big...I felt my expression grow a little wistful as my gaze wandered over all the playground equipment, noting how none of it was built for someone of my stature. Anything I might try to play with would probably break--or I'd get stuck or something. And then my siblings would have to come saw me free. I shuddered at the thought.

"Where's Junior?" Elsie suddenly asked.

"Uh, I'm right here," I told her, with a puzzled frown.

Huffing, Elsie shouldered the freshly-diapered princess and shot me a weary look. "Not you, the other Junior."

Oh. Rue and I quickly looked over at the teeter-totter, but it was empty. The whole playground had fallen silent. "Uh-oh."

"You _lost_ him?" Elsie scolded. "Way to go, big brother."

"Our future king in action," Rue chimed in.

"Hey--no double-teaming me," I snapped. "He can't have gotten far."

I hurried out of the playroom, my eyes scanning back and forth--and then the yoshi still cupped in my hands suddenly squirmed with an unhappy whine. I hastily set him down, and he trotted over to Elsie; cooing, Popo stretched her hands out to him. The saddle on the little yoshi's back was specially designed for babies, and Elsie took a moment to place the tiny princess on it and securely buckle her in with the straps attached to the sides before hurrying along with me and Rue on our search.

"Maybe we should split up," I suggested as we turned a corner.

"Or go tell all the guards and have everyone in the castle help look," Rue added.

"Or," Elsie put in dryly as an unhappy yell echoed further down the corridor, "maybe he's just ahead in the kitchen."

"This day just keeps getting better and better," I sighed, as the sounds of the head cook screeching continued to echo back to us.

And it wasn't even lunchtime yet.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's been complete chaos around here ever since his  
and her royal Highness left for their little jaunt  
around the countryside--which is _exactly_ what I  
said would happen, but did anyone listen to me? No!  
Of course not! Why would _anyone_ listen to me, _me_ ,  
who has worked and slaved and fed and nourished this  
family for years and years and..."

(Oh drat, now my pen has run out of ink! This _just_ figures,  
now I won't be able to sign this, and now _no one_ will  
_ever_ be able to figure out who wrote this!)

You wouldn't think that a little baby could make that big of a mess in just a few minutes...but you'd be wrong. When the twins and I ran into the kitchen, tables and chairs were overturned, bowls were spilled on the floor, and the head cook was throwing a fit like only she could. Several koopas in chef hats and aprons were running in circles at the far end of the room, chasing after a giggling baby in a red cap.

"Will you clowns just catch him already?" the head cook cried. "For gosh sakes, he's three feet ahead of you! Shake a leg!"

One of the flustered koopas gave a valiant effort and dove, but Mario Jr escaped beneath a table. Giggling in obvious delight, he darted around the center counter and trotted over to the group of us still standing in the doorway. "Nummies everywhere!" he exclaimed.

"You just better be careful," I warned, "or somebody might start nibbling on those little toes of yours."

The little prince was coated from head to toe in flour--or maybe it was powdered sugar--there was molasses on his feet, and his hands were sticky with chocolate, with a pile of candy clutched in his little fingers. "Best place _ever_ ," he declared happily.

Behind me, Elsie started snickering, but the head cook was not amused. "Will you all kindly _get out_?" she bellowed...though her bellowing isn't anywhere near as impressive as Dad's. In comparison, it sounds more like the shrieking of a wet cat. Most people's bellowing sounds like that compared to Dad, come to think of it.

"Can we at least swipe a lemon tart or two before we go?" Elsie asked cheekily.

"You're pushing it, baby sis," I told her sternly, grabbing her by the back of her shell and shoving her out of the kitchen. I scooped up Mario Jr with my free hand, making him squeal and kick his feet.

After we were all safely out in the hall, I looked the messy prince over. "What now?" I wondered.

"I think we should take them both home as soon as possible," noted Rue.

"But we should probably clean him up first," Elsie added.

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed. "Bet he'd like Dad's tub."

Elsie made a sputtering sound. "What are you, nuts? Dad's tub is bigger than most swimming pools!"

"I was kidding. I know the perfect place to get him scrubbed up."

I left the twins to watch little Popo, while I carried the giggling, sticky mini plumber across the castle to a place I hadn't set foot in in years...my old room. I had outgrown it ages ago (though every room in the castle had comfortably high ceilings to accommodate Dad) but I still kept it just the way it was because...well, because we royals are silly and eccentric, I guess. I didn't have any use for the piles of toys, the miniature pieces of furniture, the collection of picture books. But I made sure nothing changed, and every once in a while I would wander in here, thinking about childhood days gone by. It's kind of cool, really--almost like a miniature museum dedicated just to me. Wait, am I getting as vain and full of myself as Dad?

Mario Jr suddenly started squirming eagerly, and I had to struggle to hang on to him. "Toys," he exclaimed gleefully. "Toys everywhere!"

"You can play with them later," I said firmly. "Bath time first."

I didn't want those sugary hands latching onto my stuff, but he still managed to snag an old toy train as I scurried to the adjoining bathroom. There wasn't anything I could do about his molasses-coated feet, so I grudgingly set him on the clean tile floor, making a mental note to send in a few maids to clean up after us later as I turned to start filling the small tub.

Mario Jr darted around behind me as I dumped in a healthy amount of bubble bath, planting his sticky hands on everything he could reach as he made fascinated cooing, giggling sounds. Suddenly I heard him clap about something. "Mommy! Daddy!"

I hopped to my feet, sloshing suds on the floor. "Where?" I cried.

I expected to see his and her Highness standing in the doorway, fuming furiously as they came to collect their son. But no, he had simply found my old stash of tub toys, and had the little plastic dolls that resembled his parents clutched in his hands. Ah, yes, there had been many a bath time where Dad and his battleship had laid siege to Mushroom Kingdom's feeble cruise ships, a scenario that generally ended with Mario walking the plank while the princess shrieked for help from the crow's nest. But I decided not to mention that as I placed the baby plumber into the soapy water.

Fortunately for me, he wasn't as opposed to getting cleaned up as I used to be, and he happily made puttering sounds as he splashed my old collection of toy boats through the water while I scrubbed flour and molasses out of his hair. It was slow and a little tedious, since I had to be careful not to poke him with my claws while he wiggled around...but at the same time it was kind of fun.

When the little plumber-prince was finally clean, I playfully hoisted him out of the tub and started buffing him dry with a towel, making him squirm and giggle. When I was finished his skin was bright pink and his hair was sticking out in every direction. I set the towel down and turned around to grab his things...and it wasn't until then did it dawn on me that his hat and little shirt were too dirty to put back on him.

"Guess you'll just have to stay in the towel while I have all this washed," I mused teasingly.

But I discovered the second I turned back around that little babies didn't care a whole lot about clothes. No, they were perfectly happy to run off, giggling like crazy, and streak through castle corridors in their birthday suits. 

"JB, how are you watching this kid?" I heard Elsie groan as I hurried out of my old room.

Just as well as everyone else around here, apparently. The guards on this floor had left their posts and were all lining the hallways, snorting on laughter as they watched the show going on in front of them. Rue was running up and down the corridor, almost tripping over his fancy silk-lined cape as he tried to catch the cackling plumber baby, who thought it was all just a game. Popo and her yoshi thought it was a game too, and the yoshi trailed behind Rue's heels spouting baby yoshi gibberish.

Standing further up the corridor was Elsie...and standing behind her were Morton and Ludwig, passing back and forth a bag of popcorn. "This is better 'n pro wrestling," Ludwig commented as he shoved a handful of popcorn into his already full mouth.

"What's all the racket out here?" Wendy suddenly groused in annoyance as she joined the scene.

She let out a shriek a moment later and ran off, hands clamped over her eyes. "That does it--I'm going shopping!"

I stood scratching my head for a moment, wondering if I should try my hand at catching the little prince, but I worried about hurting him in the attempt. He darted and weaved around almost as quick as I used to, back when I was small. These days I was far from quick on my feet, but that's a bulky body and a heavy shell for you.

"I'm open to suggestions," I finally said.

But everyone looked more interested in enjoying the show than in helping out, at least until Kammy suddenly popped in with a poof of smoke. "What's going on around here?" she asked crossly.

Wincing--her voice was even more high-pitched and crackly than ever--I gave her a brief rundown of the situation. Clucking her tongue in irritation, she snapped her wand in Mario Jr's direction. A second later a large sphere--like a giant soap bubble--appeared around him, bringing the merry chase to an abrupt end. Rue tried to stop running in time, but he ended up bouncing off the bubble and landing on his rump with an 'oomph.'

For a second I thought Mario Jr was going to start crying, but after his shock wore off he just poked at his prison with a finger and looked gloomy. After that I managed to organize things a little, sending someone off to clean my old bathroom and to wash the little plumber's clothes, while the rambunctious plumber-prince was bundled in a blanket and carried back to the playroom--and this time I had the sense to close and lock the door.

For the next half hour or so I was left alone to watch the tiny trio, until Elsie rejoined us bringing with her Mario Jr's clean clothes, which she tugged him into before dressing him in a fresh diaper. I tried to pay attention this time, but the only thing I actually learned was that it wasn't his diaper itself that was denim-colored, but a little pair of shorts with elastic bands around each of the openings that fit over the diaper.

Now that he was clean and dressed...the first thing he did was curl up and go to sleep. I found a blanket and tucked it around him, then grabbed another for Popo and her pint-sized mount, who had dozed off together on the nearby merry-go-round. Elsie clasped her hands by her cheek and 'awwwed,' pretending to swoon over all the napping cuteness.

"So, what now?" I asked in a hushed voice.

My little sister shot me a 'what are you, dense?' look. "I really worry about you being in charge, big brother. What we should do now is take them straight home--hopefully before they wake up."

"Or before anyone notices they're gone," added Rue as he joined us.

"Good idea," I agreed sheepishly. "I think when I'm king I'll make you two my top advisers."

Elsie immediately brightened at the idea. "Would that mean I'd get to advise on which kingdoms we should overthrow?"

"If you must," I sighed.

"Excellent."

While she eagerly rubbed her hands together, Rue glanced over at the sleeping royals. "Should we take them home ourselves or have someone else do it?" he wondered.

"I think it would be best if we did it ourselves," Elsie said, sounding doubtful about leaving such an important job up to anyone else around here. "And by ourselves I mean us three. No one else is being very helpful right now."

I couldn't argue. But still...

"Do you have any idea how it's going to look when the three of us stroll into town?"

They both turned and looked up at me. "You mean, how it's going to look when the very image of Dad strolls in with the royal babies trailing behind him?" Elsie corrected slyly.

"That too."

"I could go in first," Rue offered.

Somehow, I didn't think that was going to make much of a difference.


	4. Chapter 4

"Dear Ultra-Secret Diary,

Everybody is working themselves into a tizzy today,  
but you couldn't ask for a more opportune situation.  
This creates the perfect chance for me to make a map  
of Mushroom Kingdom's strengths and weaknesses  
and diagram the best vantage points for future attacks.  
I'm hoping that if I start now, I'll be prepared to conquer  
as soon as I'm grown up. First the Mushroom Kingdom--  
next up, the world!

I better get going, full report as soon as I get back. Wish  
me luck!"  
_~Rosella Koopa_

I could understand why Elsie wanted to tag along, since this gave her the perfect opportunity to scope out Mushroom Kingdom's layout and defenses, but I was a little surprised that Rue wanted to go, too. "Because he'd be lonely without me," Elsie told me smugly when I mentioned this to her.

Given that sensitive little Rue didn't really have anyone else to latch on to while Mama Rosie was away, I was willing to bet this was true, even though he acted nonchalant when he joined us in the foyer a little while later. Elsie had sent him off to pack a small bag of baby things for the trip first, while she ran off to her room to grab her notebook--for jotting down all the important details, of course.

No one bothered to come see us off, so we saw ourselves out. The little prince and princess were still dozing in the saddle when we first left the castle, but they woke up a little while later--right around the time Elsie started griping about how we were walking instead of taking an airship.

"Because we're trying to be as inconspicuous as possible," I reminded her.

The thought made her scoff. "Good luck not being noticed, big brother."

"She has a point," Rue agreed.

"Oh, come on," I said, exasperated. "I'm not _that_ big and scary these days, am I?"

They both paused and looked at me. I looked back blandly, then turned my gaze to the path ahead of us. We were already on the outskirts of the kingdom, the landscape turning soft and green and the sun trying to shine through the thinning clouds above us. Not far from where we stood was a common-looking koopa, taking a stroll with an even more common-looking goomba. Neither of them looked very tough and I doubted they were from our kingdom, but that was no reason why I couldn't walk up and say hi.

"I rest my case," said Elsie, as the pair ran squealing into the bushes.

"Maybe I should just go home and let you two handle this without me," I grumbled.

"Or we could all go in disguise," Elsie suggested eagerly, pausing to rummage in the bag she was carrying. I watched as she pulled out and tugged on a long black cloak.

"Isn't that Mom's?" asked Rue.

It sure looked like it. And Elsie was a little less than half of Mama Rosie's size, so the hem of the cloak dragged behind her while the hood drooped down over her face, leaving only the tip of her nose visible. "What do you think?" she wondered, spreading her short arms wide.

"Uh, I _don't_ think you're going to instill much confidence in very many people," I said dryly.

"I agree," said Rue. "You look shifty."

Not quite the word I would have used. Suspicious? Threatening? Up to no good? Now that was more like it.

Rue wasn't a whole lot better. In the heart of sunless Darkland, his porcelain-white pallor and black robes wouldn't get a second glance, but out here in the golden sunlight, with a backdrop of soft grass and flowers and things that would only get softer and brighter the closer to Mushroom Kingdom we got...he stood out strangely, like an ink blot on an otherwise pristine sheet of white paper.

"Skip the cloak," I advised. "And try not to call too much attention to yourselves."

Grumbling, Elsie put the cloak away and started walking again, the little yoshi and its passengers trotting along behind her. Mario Jr was clutching his cloud doll and placidly sucking his thumb as he blinked around him at the scenery, but Popo was squirming in her seat and making unhappy sounds.

I eyed her warily for a moment. "She doesn't need another diaper change, does she?"

Rolling her eyes, Elsie leaned over and took a sniff near the hem of the tiny princess' pink dress. "No," she said after a moment. "I think she just wants out."

I didn't see any harm in that, so I unfastened the fussy princess from the saddle and started carrying her. She squirmed around a moment more before settling down, cooing softly as she reached up to tug on a lock of my red-orange hair. Elsie snickered. "I think she digs you, big brother," she noted teasingly. "Maybe you could try kidnapping her in a few years and see what happens."

"Uh, after watching you change her diaper?" I said dryly. "No thank you. Do I look like a cradle robber to you--literally?"

Beside me, Rue rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Ro, don't be so weird."

Elsie let out a huff. "I was kidding."

"But now that you mention it," I went on in a sly tone, "maybe it would be a good idea to arrange a marriage someday. You know, to help align the kingdoms and all."

Elsie released another huff of air, her eyes turning skyward. "We don't _want_ to permanently align the kingdoms," she grumbled in exasperation. "That would ruin my future plans."

"Besides, who is there to arrange a marriage with?" Rue wondered. "Everyone else in the family is too old--and too goofy."

Smirking, both Elsie and I turned to look at him; he made a face at us in return. "Now you're just being creepy."

The two of us just laughed, knowing that the whole conversation was completely ridiculous, because neither of our parents support arranged marriages. Mama Rosie is a firm believer in marrying for love.

And speaking of Mama Rosie...watching how Rue kept tugging his cape around him, and shielding his eyes as the sunlight grew brighter, it reminded me of how Mama Rosie also had to watch how much sun her sensitive skin got. She never went this far from home without a lacy parasol--a nice black one. I'm pretty sure she's glad none of us ever saw how she used to look when she was younger, when she would move around the kingdom of her birth. Whenever I try to picture her dressed head to toe in white, in a stiff taffeta dress that whispered noisily as she walked, with a high collar closed tight with a brooch that itched her neck, and a modest little bonnet on her head...actually, I can't even picture any of that.

As we walked on, I wondered absently what our parents were up to right now. They were probably miles from here by now, seeing the sights, shopping for souvenirs, and cuddling like newlyweds. Hopefully, this quaint little mess would be peacefully resolved long before they got back, and I was pretty sure none of us planned to ever breathe a word of it to anyone again.

The closer to Mushroom Kingdom we got, the more local citizens we came across...and the more often we saw grown koopas and toads screeching like wet cats as they tried to shatter speed records. "They know I'm not Dad, right?" I wondered, after the fifth or sixth group took off so fast they left dust clouds and tufts of grass in their wake. If I _were_ Dad, he would be bellowing with laughter right now, but as for me...I found it kind of ego bruising.

"Or that Dad has better hobbies now than harassing the weak and puny?" Rue added. "Well, most of the time."

"I don't think they want to take a chance on either count," noted Elsie.

Fortunately, we reached the outskirts of the kingdom a few minutes later. Unfortunately, every toad in sight ran for the hills the moment they spotted us--or rather me--coming down the orange-brown road. "That's it," I groused, passing Popo to Elsie. "I'm going to keep out of sight while you two head up to the castle."

Shrugging, Elsie put the petite princess back on her mount, then continued northward through the center of town with Rue, while I cut around the backs of the surrounding shops, staying hidden...or at least trying to. Shorter than Dad or not, this little town wasn't built for someone of my stature, and there wasn't a whole lot I could hide behind. Sighing, I eventually got down on all fours and crawled behind a clump of bushes growing alongside the road.

I hadn't gotten very far when I almost bumped nose-first into the tiniest pair of toads I had ever seen. Only a hair bigger than Mario Jr counting their speckled caps, they both giggled and pressed a finger to their lips with a 'shhh!' "We're playin' hide-n-seek with our big brother," one of them whispered.

"Wanna play too?" the other one asked eagerly.

"Sorry," I said, as I edged by. "I'm, um, on important business."

They both gave me a funny look, while I, mustering as much dignity as I could, crawled on. My cover ran out a few feet later, but up ahead, things looked quiet beyond the gate leading to the castle grounds. The twins suddenly stopped walking and looked over at me, their blank expressions matching. I knew I had to look pretty silly right now, but I ignored them and said, "How come adults run away from me and kids don't?"

Rue suddenly pressed a hand over his mouth, like he was shoving back a giggle. "I guess they don't know any better," he responded, with a funny strain to his voice.

Elsie was biting her bottom lip and visibly struggling not to crack up. "Or maybe they recognize you as one of their own," she suggested.

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny. I'm not doing this for fun, you know."

"Then why?" Elsie wondered, as Rue pressed both hands over his mouth and snorted on suppressed laughter. 

"I'm _trying_ to be inconspicuous," I groused, rolling my eyes again. "Now quit attracting so much attention."

"No one's looking, big brother," Elsie informed me, fighting back giggles as she spoke. "And a good thing, too. If you want to be less conspicuous, you had better lose the passenger."

I opened my mouth to demand 'what passenger?'...then closed it again and twisted my neck to look over my shoulder. Perched on the middle of my shell, light as a feather, was one of the tiny toads. The other one ran up with a giggle and hopped to reach one of my spikes. "I wanna ride, too!"

While my younger siblings doubled over in hysterics, I calmly, carefully plucked my pint-sized hitchhiker off and set him on the grass. "Sorry, I've got an important mission I need to finish," I said as I lumbered to my feet. "We'll play later, okay?"

As I hurried off, the pair watched me go with tiny frowns and sniffles. "I'll be right back," I promised awkwardly.

Rue and Elsie continued to snicker after they collected themselves and hurried to catch up. "Maybe instead of being king, you should run a daycare center," Elsie suggested sweetly.

"Maybe you should watch it, before you find yourself on the business end of my flame," I countered, just as sweetly.

Elsie just laughed and tucked up into her shell, which clattered onto the road as her legs left the ground. "Go ahead," she challenged, her voice muffled and hollow. "Let 'er rip."

"Ummm, we have company," Rue interrupted, his voice dropping almost to a whisper.

Elsie quickly popped back out, and I hastily turned around and looked over at the castle grounds, expecting to see a troop of guards running our way. To my relief it was only Princess Daisy, out for a leisurely stroll. We'd always been on good terms with the brightly-clad royal, since Dad never kidnapped her or invaded her kingdom. Plus she has a sense of humor. 

This might turn out better than we planned, I thought as she spotted us and waved. We could leave the baby princess and plumber in her charge and run home in time for dinner. Hopefully.

"What are you three doing so far from home?" she asked, as we met her near a garden of pink and white flowers.

"We were wondering the same thing about these two," responded Elsie, indicating to Mario Jr and Popo, still strapped to the lime green yoshi, who was yawning and blinking sleepily.

Daisy looked shocked for a moment. "They wandered all the way over to Darkland? I'm so glad you found them and brought them home before they were hurt!"

"So are we," I said, as Rue half-hid behind my shell.

Rue is always bashful around anyone outside of the family or our kingdom. Elsie, on the other hand, never fails to be outspoken--and blunt as a sledgehammer. "Who was babysitting them, anyway?" she asked, as Daisy bent over and cooed at the little ones for a moment. "Whoever they are, they should be fired immediately."

"I'm not sure," said Daisy, looking sheepish as she straightened up again. "I was out with Luigi this morning, and their parents just left for their vacation, so...I guess the two of them got bored and wandered off."

I blinked in surprise. "They went on vacation too?"

"What a coincidence," Elsie noted dryly.

I knew what she was thinking. If Dad ran into his old nemesis out in the wilds, the vacation would rapidly turn into a fierce competition. Those two competed over _everything_. A few years ago, before Mario Jr or Popo were born, we had all taken a day off together and lounged on Koopa Beach. Well, Mama Rosie and Rue had lounged, keeping under the safety of beach umbrellas, while Dad and Mario competed over everything from sand castles to surfing. Dad's massive hands could whoop anyone when it came to packing sand any day of the week, but...his bulky weight isn't exactly designed for balancing on a surfboard. The koopalings had enjoyed the tidal waves he made that day, at least.

"If you wouldn't mind taking them home for us, we'll be on our way," I said.

Daisy smiled and patted the sleeping-looking yoshi. "No problem," she assured us. "Thank you again, and have a safe trip home."

Returning home wouldn't be any trouble, but the ruckus we--or rather I--caused along the way was another story. Not that we went straight home; Elsie ran off as soon as we were through the castle gate, notebook in hand, while Rue, his bashfulness vanishing, laughingly tagged along while the tiny toads latched onto me and dragged me into their game of hide-and-seek.

It was hours before we were finally ready to go home again, and by then we were hungry and thirsty and decided to drop by the juice bar near the pier before we left. It emptied mysteriously as soon as we walked through the door, giving us free reign of the place. Rue nibbled on yoshi cookies and spun on a bar stool, while Elsie beguiled the owner into giving her a slew of free samples. She had a sugar buzz and a case of the hiccups by the time I finally dragged her away.

When we left Mushroom Kingdom (the locals probably rejoiced as soon as we were gone) and got back home to the castle, Morton and Roy were target practicing out by the moat, frazzled-looking maids were toting piles of shopping bags off to Wendy's room, and a muffled explosion came from the direction of Iggy's laboratory. I let out a sigh of relief, which Elsie echoed. "Life as usual," she noted, before scurrying off to her room with her notes.

Everything remained normal for the next few days, which made everyone, including me, conclude that my temporary reign was going to go smoothly from now on--and then an armed toad guard showed up on our doorstep one morning. "Now, I'm not accusing you of anything," he began after I nervously invited him inside, "but an alert was put out that her Highness disappeared while she was on her vacation and, well..."

"But our Dad doesn't kidnap her anymore," I protested in surprise. "Besides, he and our Mom are both away on vacation too."

"That's what we were told," responded the guard, "but his Majesty sent back word for us to start searching nearer to home while he's off scouring the distant countryside, and we didn't know where else to begin."

Perplexed, I gave him free-run of the castle, and he left a little while later, satisfied that his pink-clad queen was nowhere in our kingdom. After the guard was gone, Elsie started snickering. "What's so funny?" I demanded wearily.

"Don't you get it?" she asked, her amber eyes dancing. "The four of them must have met up somewhere, which eventually started a huge testosterone battle, and Mom would definitely get mad about Dad suddenly ignoring her. The quickest way to get rid of Mario would be to make his wife disappear."

I stared at her as what she was suggesting sunk in. "Wait, you're saying Mama Rosie kidnapped her?"

"Not kidnapped, per se, more like hid her away somewhere, probably right under plumber-hubby's nose. Hey, if I were in her situation, it's definitely what I would do."

I thought she was nuts, but the search continued for a couple of weeks, until around the time Dad sent us a postcard saying they were heading home soon...and then Queen Peach mysteriously turned up safe and sound immediately afterward. Our parents came home a few days later, and we all trooped into the foyer as their luggage was ferried through.

"Did you have fun?" I asked dryly, noting the oddly smug look on Mama Rosie's face as she hugged me.

"Loads," she responded simply.

"You've never looked so tan," noted Ludwig, referring to how her pale skin almost looked a half-shade darker than usual.

"You all behaved yourselves, right?" Mama Rosie asked sternly, just as Rue scurried up and clung to her, sniffling shamelessly.

"Did you?" I returned, my suspicion plain.

Mama Rosie simply sent a smug smile Dad's way, which he returned, one eyebrow arching slyly. Grinning, she pulled away from Rue and hopped to noisily kiss Dad's cheek. "We should take another vacation," she sighed, her expression dreamy as she rested her head on his middle.

"I think you've been naughty enough for now," said Dad, chuckling.

She simply laughed and scurried off, while I barely suppressed a shudder. "You're not taking another one right away, are you?" I asked. "I don't think I'm ready to be in charge again."

"How come?" Dad asked suspiciously. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing worth mentioning," Elsie said lightly, as she scribbled something in her notebook.

Dad still looked suspicious, but he didn't press the issue before heading off to make sure everything was unpacked properly. "We should take a vacation of our own," Elsie suggested eagerly after he was gone.

"And in this case, the vacation would only be smokescreen for making more notes," I said.

"Precisely, big brother."

She grinned cheekily at me. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Sighing, I patted her two-toned curls for a moment. "Do me a favor, baby sis. Don't ever say that again."

_~Fin~_


End file.
